Singer Peter Okoye, known as Mr P, has said sorry for his comments about Nigerian languages. He claims people misunderstood him and he never meant to attack the Igbo language or culture.
Mr P made this clear in a post on his X account on Wednesday. This came after he faced backlash online for a reply to a user on social media.
“If my response to ‘Who Naija language help?’ upset some people, I apologize and take full responsibility for my words. That doesn’t mean I hate Nigerian languages or our culture,” he said.
He explained that the trouble started from what he called an innocent post about his kids speaking French while in Paris.
“It all started from an innocent tweet where I said my kids speak French, and it made me think maybe I should buy a house in Paris. Somehow, that turned into something completely different,” he added.
Mr P insisted he did not target the Igbo language in his comments.
“At no point did I say I hate the Igbo language or Igbo culture. I said ‘Naija language,’ referring to the different languages in Nigeria, but some individuals twisted it and made it seem like I specifically mentioned Igbo. I didn’t.
“That said, I still take responsibility for how my words were received.”
He also claimed that someone used the situation to damage his reputation, saying similar things have happened before.
“But again, bro, you’re at it again, using this moment as another opportunity to pull me down. Just like I wrote in my open letter two years ago, doing everything possible to make people hate me will never work,” he stated.
Mr P accepted that he deserved some criticism for his statement but condemned what he called a false representation of his words.
“Yes, people are dragging me over my statement, and that’s okay. We all have moments where our words can be misunderstood or where we could have expressed ourselves better. I accept that. But deliberately twisting my words and using petty tactics to damage my reputation says a lot.”
He accused the individual of making hurtful comments about him, including mocking him for dancing at his age.
“I don’t know why you look for every opportunity to make derisive comments or jump on the bandwagon whenever I’m being attacked. The other time, you threw shades at me and even age-shamed me for still dancing at my age. Now it’s this again.”
He wrapped up by saying he would no longer ignore such attacks.
“At this point, I think it’s only fair I start giving the same energy I receive. No more Mr. Nice Guy.
“It’s aura for aura, Egusi for Egusi, Oha for Oha.”
The issue began when Mr P posted from Paris. He said seeing his kids speak French well made him think about buying a house there.
When an X user asked if his kids could also speak Igbo, the singer replied, “And who naija language help? Make I hear word abeg.”
This comment got many people upset on social media. Some argued that native languages are key to keeping Nigeria’s culture alive. Others defended his right to raise his children how he wanted.
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